Ingdan, Inc. (HKG:400) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 31% share price jump in the last month. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 30%.

Even after such a large jump in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Ingdan's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 7.7x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Hong Kong, where the median P/E ratio is around 10x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Ingdan over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

How Is Ingdan's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Ingdan would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 15%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 72% in total over the last three years. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 22% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is pretty similar based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's understandable that Ingdan's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on assuming the company will continue keeping a low profile.

The Key Takeaway

Ingdan's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/E level with the market. It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

As we suspected, our examination of Ingdan revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its P/E, given they look similar to current market expectations. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings won't throw up any surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Ingdan with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.